iPhone 5 4G EE UK: What sort of speeds can you expect? (video)

The iPhone 5 is a fast phone. It might have a few teething troubles with maps and scratches, but it's selling fast, the OS runs fast and now - thanks to a preview of the 4G EE network in the UK - we've seen it with super-fast data too.

So what sort of speeds can you expect to get from the iPhone 5 on 4G? We ran multiple tests using the Speedtest.net app on the iPhone. The results were consistently strong, the fastest download speed being recorded at 47.44Mbps.

There is a caveat with this sort of test, however: this was conducted at an EE 4G preview event, with limited devices on the network, so the conditions were ideal. You can see a little video below of the iPhone 5 in action on the EE 4G network.

During the course of the test we noticed a variation in speeds, as you would in real life, so it's worth remembering that even given near-perfect conditions, you can't always expect that headline speed. We also tested the HTC One XL (also starring in our video above), Samsung Galaxy S III and Huawei Ascend P1 LTE.

EE says it is aiming for speeds of around 20Mbps for its 4G network. Coverage is coming to 16 major cities by the end of 2012, with 70 per cent coverage nationwide by the end of 2013.

The performance boost this adds to the online experience of the iPhone 5 is impressive. There's no waiting for websites to load, they appear in a flash, and downloading apps or sending photos is going to be as fast out of the house as it is on your home Wi-Fi network.

We spent some time with the new iPhone 5 on EE at a select preview event, as the network announced the availability of its 4G devices. The iPhone 5, however, has been available through Orange and T-Mobile since 21 September, so if you have one, you're all set to more to 4G when the network launches in the coming weeks.

EE stole something of a lead on rival networks, announcing the launch of its fast 4G network in the UK just before the launch of the iPhone 5. Apple included EE in its list of 4G launch networks, leaving the likes of Vodafone and O2 out in the cold, awaiting the 4G spectrum auction.